Precious Bonds
by FireStorm1991
Summary: Based off of Heart Gold/Soul Silver and the manga. A journey can start off as one good deed, and then become even more complicated. When a young girl decides on helping out the world, she may be getting herself into more trouble than she bargained for. Can she stop her brother from making the biggest mistake of his life, and in the process help a new friend and rival find closure?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, Pokémon Adventures, Soul Silver/Heart Gold and their characters and plots. Just using them as a guide for this story, so it won't follow the plots exactly. (I do have a copy of both Soul Silver and Heart Gold, though XD)

I want to give a special thanks and shout out to KaiserNight for talking through ideas with me, giving me the ideas for some of the names and the title, and for reading through the chapter as I wrote it :)

* * *

"So, do you think we have enough members now?" a tall, red-haired woman huffed. "We've been recruiting for months."

"Yeah," said one man who was lounging on a couch. He had teal hair and was wearing a black beret. "I'm getting anxious."

"Yes," the leader of the group said. "You're right. We've been recruiting, and now it's time to get the word out there. Once they know of us, more will flock to us. Team Rocket will soon be returning."

The woman took out her Pokégear and clicked a few buttons. "Better let him know we're starting sooner than expected."

* * *

It was a bright, sunny morning and a middle-aged, brown-haired woman with kind, auburn eyes was preparing breakfast for her two children. Her eldest, age eighteen, Petrel, was home for a while before he had to leave for another school related project. Her youngest, age ten, Krisa, had to be up soon. Their neighbor, Professor Elm, had asked a favor of her which involved the girl running off on her own. Lyra wasn't thrilled with the idea of Krisa leaving home, but the truth was that all children her age needed to take this step. Besides, she would have Pokémon with her. She wouldn't be alone.

Looking at the clock, it was nearly ten in the morning, and both Petrel and Krisa were still in bed. Lyra knew her children liked to sleep in. Maybe once they were both on their journeys, they'd be broken from their bad habits. "Oh that girl," Lyra said in a chipper voice. She looked to the Pidgey standing next to her and smiled. "Flappy, will you go get Krisa? She only seems to get up when you wake her."

Flappy flew to Krisa's room and pulled the covers from over Krisa's head. The girl in the bed was still sound asleep. She had bright blue hair that that stuck out from all sides and extremely pale skin. Her soft snores filled the room and Flappy decided to jump on her and nudge her gently with his beak. Krisa shifted, turning over and yawning, before opening one of her big, brown eyes surrounded by blue, fluttering lashes. She smiled when she saw her flying friend. "Good morning, Flappy," she chimed sleepily as she sat up in bed. "Mm, I wonder what time it is."

The girl checked the clock on her nightstand which read ten-thirty. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "I'm late!"

Krisa quickly got out of bed, getting into her blue sweat suit and T-shirt and throwing on an orange cap to hide her bedhead. Checking her appearance out in the mirror, she smiled and then ran out of her room. She paused by her brother's room, seeing and hearing that Petrel was still asleep. Krisa tiptoed by his room so that she wouldn't wake him and then raced down the stairs with Flappy flapping behind her.

Lyra smiled when she heard her daughter running down the stairs. As Krisa entered the kitchen, she grabbed an apple and sat down at the table. "Well, look who's finally up," Lyra teased.

"Sorry mom," Krisa said meekly. "I'm so used to setting my Pokégear alarm."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Lyra said. "Your Pokégear came back from the shop this morning."

"Really?" Krisa asked happily.

"Uh-huh," her mom replied. "It's over there with your bag."

Krisa finished her apple and threw her core into the compost bag. She went into the living room and found her Pokégear and bag. Gathering the two items, Krisa stood at the door and waved goodbye to her mom. "I'll see you later," she called.

"Alright Krisa," Lyra called back. When she heard the door shut, she sighed and looked upstairs. "Now how to get Petrel up…"

Krisa gathered her bag on her shoulder, her pink Pokégear on her wrist, and Flappy's Pokéball in her bag's pocket before smiling at her flying friend. "Let's go, Flappy," she said grinning. "Professor Elm needs us." The two sped off to the lab together. It took them mere minutes to get there.

* * *

Outside the lab, Krisa saw a boy who looked to be around her age. He was wearing a black sweat suit and had long, red hair. Curious, Krisa walked over to him to ask him if he needed anything. "Hi," she greeted him.

The boy seemed startled by being seen by her and shot her a firm glare, his dark brown eyes hardened with anger. "What are you looking at?" he snapped before he pushed past her and left the scene. Krisa and Flappy looked to each other and shrugged and then entered Elm's laboratory. If the boy needed anything, he'd be back.

Professor Elm was waiting for Krisa in the back of his lab by his computer. When she came in, his aide brought her to him. Elm's face lit us as he greeted the young girl. "Krisa!" he exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you!" He started discussing he research, which the young girl kind of shrugged off for the moment. She had heard his spiel many times before, so she already knew what he was saying. "So, I need you to go pick something up for me from Mr. Pokémon. He's a colleague and friend and said he had something for my research. Would you mind picking it up for me?"

"Sure," Krisa replied. She always wanted to be of some help.

"Great!" Elm said in excitement. "Oh, I know you have your Pidgey, but I think you should have another Pokémon, just in case. I'm working with three now: the grass Pokémon, Chikorita; the fire Pokémon, Cyndaquil; and the water Pokémon, Totodile. I'd like you to pick one."

"Really?" Krisa asked, her eyes widening in awe. "Well okay."

She walked over to Elm's machine and looked inquiringly at the Pokémons' pictures and data. Being partial to fire types, she instantly settled on Cyndaquil.

"So, you've chosen Cyndaquil, huh?" Elm questioned. "That's the fire mouse Pokémon. Excellent choice."

The two of them then walked out of the lab, not noticing the shadow near the building. Krisa was ready to leave once Professor Elm had given her the directions. "Mr. Pokémon's house is just north of Cherrygrove," Elm told her. "Krisa, be careful."

"Don't worry, Professor Elm," she said with a determined smile. "I'll be careful."

* * *

Krisa made her way to Mr. Pokémon's house with little trouble. The day was beautiful, and it felt great to be out and about. The house, also, was not difficult to find. She politely knocked on the door and an elderly man dressed in a brown suit answered the door. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "You must be Krisa. Professor Elm told me you'd be coming." Krisa smiled and followed him inside the house. When she entered, she noticed another elderly man with graying hair sipping tea as Mr. Pokémon went into the other room. He came back into the room holding a large egg. Krisa tilted her head in curiosity, wondering what it was. "This is what I need you to take back to Professor Elm, Krisa," Mr. Pokémon told her. The other man simply stopped drinking his tea at that moment.

"What is it?" Krisa asked. "An egg?"

"Yes," Mr. Pokémon said with a grin. "A Pokémon egg to be exact. A friend gave this to me and I figured it would help Professor Elm with his research. Think you can get it to him safely?"

Krisa nodded and motioned to her two Pokémon. "Sure," she answered with certainty. "With Flappy and Flare with me, we'll be able to take care of that egg."

Krisa turned to leave and nearly crashed into the other man. "Oh, Krisa," Mr. Pokémon spoke up, "this is Professor Oak, a friend of mine and a colleague to Professor Elm."

Krisa stared at Professor Oak for a moment before he decided to talk to her. "You're helping him with his research?" Oak asked. He then grinned at the young girl when she nodded. "Your Cyndaquil and Pidgey seem to be very close to you," he observed. "Tell me, would you consider helping me out with my research too?"

"W-What is it?" Krisa asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Oak said as he took out a red machine that almost looked like a larger version of her Pokégear. "This is a Pokédex. It records information about the Pokémon you catch and then stores it in a larger database that I have access to. Actually, a Pokédex was stolen from me earlier today by some pickpocket, and I was hoping to meet a trainer I could trust. Think you're up to the challenge?"

"Sure!" Krisa exclaimed. "I'd love to help!"

"Excellent!" Oak joined in. "Also, I'd like to give you my number to keep you up to date on everything including upgrades, alright?"

"Okay," Krisa replied sweetly handing her Pokégear to the professor.

After she and Oak exchanged numbers, Mr. Pokémon suggested that Krisa return home before nightfall. Krisa agreed, storing the egg safely in her bag before heading back to New Bark Town. Once she hit Cherrygrove, though, the boy from Elm's lab ran into her since he was looking back towards New Bark Town and not paying attention. Just then, her Pokégear went off and she answered it.

"_Krisa!" _Elm exclaimed on the other line. _"Get back here quick! Something terrible has happened!"_

He hung up quickly as the red-haired boy chuckled darkly. "Why he would call you for this, I have no idea," he teased bitterly. "You look like a weakling."

Krisa glared at the boy and said, "My name is Krisa, you jerk."

This only served to amuse him more. That's when Krisa saw a Sneasel and a Totodile. "Hey, that's…" she started to say before realization overcame her features. "Did you steal that from Professor Elm?"

"Pretty smart, kid," he replied. "Now if you'll get out of my way-"

"No!" Krisa shouted narrowing her eyes at the boy before blocking his path with help from Flappy and Flare. The red-haired boy just stared at her blankly and looked over to his Pokémon. He nudged his head in her direction, signaling for them to attack. Both Pokémon charged towards her.

Flappy crossed in front of Krisa, going after the Totodile, while Flare tackled Sneasel. Sneasel dodged easily and quickly, evidence that it was a well-trained Pokémon. Totodile attempted to bite Flappy, but the ambitious Pidgey avoided it and hit the Totodile with its beak. The red-haired trainer glared over to Krisa, making her inwardly cringe. She got ahold of herself when Sneasel scratched Flare. That's when her trainer instinct kicked in.

"Flare, use smokescreen!" she called out loud enough for her Pokémon to hear. Her opponents were instantly surrounded by a cloud of thick, black smoke, making it more difficult for them to see. "Flappy, peck!"

As a Pidgey, Flappy was able to see, even in conditions with poor visibility. Due to losing his ability to see, the red-haired trainer couldn't counter her attack. Both his Pokémon landed near him, and he knew he had lost the battle. He called them back into their Pokéballs and chuckled again.

"You're good, for a weakling," the boy told her. "But I have more important things to do. I'm out of here."

"Wait!" Krisa yelled before grabbing onto his jacket causing his trainer card to fall out of his pocket.

He snatched it back from her quickly before running off. The glare he sent her spoke volumes. He knew she had seen his name. _Silver._

* * *

When Krisa returned to the lab, she entered and was accosted by an officer. "So she's the thief, I see!" he assumed. "They always return to the scene of the crime."

"No, no, no!" Elm exclaimed. "This is Krisa. She's my neighbor who I sent out on an errand."

"Oh, well in that case," the officer said in an overdramatic fashion as he directed attention to the lab aide. "This man said that he saw the back of the thief's head and said it was a boy with red hair."

Krisa's face fell when she heard this, but more because she knew who the thief was. Still, to cover that up, she had to argue with the officer's logic. "But I'm a GIRL with BLUE hair," she stated. "How could you mistake that?"

"Anyway," the officer said, not even listening, "did you see this boy?"

"Well, I battled a boy, and he had Totodile," Krisa admitted.

"Oh, did you see his face, or catch his name?" the officer asked.

Krisa didn't know why, but for some reason she felt the need to protect the boy's identity. He had been cruel to her, but Totodile was already listening to him like he was its trainer. "I couldn't see his face," she lied. "He was wearing a black scarf. Also, I did see his trainer card. His name was, uh…Metal."

The officer took down all of the information and then tipped his hat. "That's all I need. Have a great day!"

He raced off quickly, leaving Krisa to feel somewhat torn about her lie. Before she could hone in on her guilt, Professor Elm spoke up. "So…with that out of the way, what did Mr. Pokémon have for me?"

Krisa smiled shyly before taking the egg out of her pack. If she felt bad for anyone getting hurt by her lie, it was Professor Elm. He had been like a father to her since hers and Petrel's passed away years before. Professor Elm, unaware of the girl's guilt, took the egg and started talking excitedly about the implications.

"This is great," he praised Krisa. "Thank you for picking it up for me."

"Not a problem," Krisa replied meekly. "I also met Professor Oak, and he gave me a Pokédex."

"Really?" Elm exclaimed. "That's great! Krisa, you know what that means? You should take the Pokémon League Challenge. The first gym is in Violet City."

Krisa thought about it for a moment before nodding. "That sounds challenging," she told him. "I better get home to tell mom." Professor Elm agreed as the girl was already out the door.

She jumped the fence into her yard and ran to into her home. "Mom, guess what?" she asked in excitement.

"What?" Lyra asked, although she was sure she already knew the answer.

"Well, Professor Elm gave me a new Pokémon and then I met Professor Oak, and to help him with his research, I'm going to take the Pokémon League Challenge. Elm thinks I should do it."

"That sounds like fun," Lyra said enthusiastically. "And I've already called in some camping and food supplies to the Cherrygrove mart for such an occasion. By the way, I'll start saving money for you."

Krisa ran over to hug her mother. "You're the best, mom," she whispered. Then she pulled away and smiled. "I need to go tell Petrel."

Lyra didn't get the chance to respond before Krisa fled to the stairs. She chuckled silently and shook her head. Her daughter spent so much energy during the day that knocked her out for the night. Maybe this journey would teach her to pace herself.

* * *

The young girl entered her brother's room only to find it empty. She walked around the room looking at all of his posters and then heard his Pokégear go off. It was lying on his desk, and she saw the name "Adriana." That's when she noticed all the papers on his desk. Her eyes widened in both shock and fear at what she read. All the papers were for the formerly disbanded Team Rocket, a group of Pokémon thieves that had been disbanded three years ago by a boy named Red. Krisa gasped, but then heard the footsteps of her brother returning to his room. She quickly threw herself into his closet.

"Alright, alright, I'm comin'," Petrel said as he entered his room. He went to his desk and picked up the Pokégear. "Whatda ya want, Adriana?" he asked. There was silence for a moment before Krisa saw her brother grin from her hiding spot. His eyes were dancing in mirth, his already small black pupils dilating with anticipation. "That soon, huh? Great, glad we finally got enough recruits for the new and improved Team Rocket…Nah, my family doesn't know anything. I'd like to keep it that way…Okay, see you in Violet City."

Petrel hung up his gear before leaving the room to tell his mother he'd be leaving earlier than planned. He wanted to say goodbye to his sister, but Krisa escaped with Flappy's help from the window in her room before he could have seen her. Krisa couldn't believe what she had overheard, but she couldn't face her brother after that. All she knew was that he was getting himself into trouble. Still, there was nothing she could do. She knew he was already in so deep from the papers she found, so if she wanted to save her brother, she would have to get stronger and stop him herself.

"Flappy, Flare?" she called to her Pokémon. "Think we can help Petrel?"

Both Pokémon replied with energetic calls, and Krisa felt empowered after that. If her Pokémon thought they could get her brother out of trouble, then they would. This time when she took her steps out of town, it was the first step to her newest mission.

* * *

Silver finally settled at a Pokémon center. His Sneasel and new Totodile were being checked out by the nurse. He sat back and thought about the battle he had with the blue-haired girl, Krisa he believed she told him. Unfortunately for him, she knew his name now too. He took out his trainer card and glared at it. No doubt that nosy girl would turn him in.

Just then, an officer entered the center. Silver kept his cool as he posted the wanted poster. The officer then walked over to where he was and asked to see his trainer card. Silver wondered if he had been caught, but when the officer handed him back his card and bid him a good day. Silver was slightly shocked, but didn't let it show as he moved to check the wanted poster.

It seemed that the aide he ran into only remembered his long, red hair. The facial features were covered up by a scarf he did not own. Not even his eyes were shown. He didn't understand where the idea of the scarf came from until he saw that the name of the person they were looking for was "Metal." For some reason he did not understand, Krisa lied for him.

Before he could think of the significance, the light to the examination room went off signaling that his Pokémon were healed. He didn't have time to think about this now as he checked his location on his jet black Pokégear. His next stop was Violet City, and he had a mission to complete.

* * *

Krisa was walking again on the route to Cherrygrove City. Before she had gotten too far, a boy with a Marill stopped her. She looked the boy up and down and saw that he had short, black hair covered by a black and yellow cap. Only a piece of his seemingly spiked hair peeked out. He had large, brown eyes and a cocky smile to match their determination. "Hey!" he called to her. "You a new trainer?" Krisa nodded in response before the boy ran to her. "Great! I'll show you how to catch Pokémon."

"But I already-"

"I insist," the boy said with a grin. "My name's Ethan." He offered her his hand to shake.

"Krisa," she replied, accepting the gesture.

"Anyways, let's head into the grass and I'll catch you a nice Pokémon."

He didn't notice Krisa's sad smile as she followed behind him. Flappy nudged her and quietly cried sadly knowing what the girl was thinking. _Why, Petrel? _she thought as her and the boy ran into a wild Rattata.

"Alright," Ethan said. "Now watch what I do."

Krisa smiled and rolled her brown orbs in both amusement and a hint of irritation. Ethan was a little too excited about teaching her to catch a Pokémon even though she already could, but she let him and watched his Marill battle. He caught the Rattata fairly quickly which did impress Krisa. After it was caught, he handed her the Pokéball.

"I think I'm going to name it Feisty," Krisa told him.

Ethan laughed at her and then smiled. "And that's how it's done, Krisa," he said kindly. "Now, um, where are you headed?"

"Cherrygrove," she replied. "I want to get there to stock up on camping supplies and then head to Violet City."

"Why are you headed to Violet City?" Ethan asked causing Krisa to mentally freeze.

"_Okay, see you in Violet City."_

"_You should take the Pokémon League Challenge. The first gym is in Violet City."_

"I'm taking on the Pokémon League Challenge," Krisa answered telling Ethan a half-truth. "Professor Elm said I should consider it since Professor Oak gave me a Pokédex."

"You know both Professor Elm AND Oak?" Ethan exclaimed in shock. "They're the best in the field of Pokémon research! Krisa, I know this is weird, but can I please, please have your number? I want to hear about your journey and research."

"Sure," Krisa chimed. "It's the least I can do for you after you caught Feisty."

The two exchanged numbers in their Pokégears and, before they realized, made it to Cherrygrove. There they parted ways as Ethan pressed on to Goldenrod and Krisa stopped at the Pokémart to pick up the supplies her mother had ordered. Once she picked up her tent, some non-perishables, Pokéballs, and medicine for her Pokémon, Krisa set off for Violet City. With Flappy, Flare, and now Feisty with her, she knew she'd be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, Pokémon Adventures, Soul Silver/Heart Gold and their characters and plots. Just using them as a guide for this story, so it won't follow the plots exactly. (I do have a copy of both Soul Silver and Heart Gold, though XD)

* * *

Krisa had picked up her camping gear and healed her Pokémon at the Pokémon center. While she waited, she checked the map card on her Pokégear. She determined that if she left Cherrygrove before nightfall, she could set up camp at a halfway point between Cherrygrove and Violet City. The sooner she got there, the sooner she could find Petrel.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you all right?" Krisa looked up to see a smiling old man standing in front of her with a miniature basket. She blinked at him a few times, not truly having heard his question. "You looked like you were deep in thought for such a young lady. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Krisa shook her head. "Thank you, but I'm okay," she answered. "I'm just waiting for my Pokémon and then I have to head to Violet City."

"Ah, a new trainer," the old man chuckled. "Fond memories. I remember when I started my own journey when I was simply a ten year old lad." Krisa smiled at the old man's reminiscing. "But tell me, child; why are you heading out to Violet City so late? Surely you could spend the night here at the center."

Krisa frowned. No, she couldn't stay in Cherrygrove. She needed to get to Violet City and catch up with her brother. At least if she could stop him from going through with this fake Team Rocket's plan, he could avoid getting in trouble. That's all the girl wanted, her brother's safety.

"No, sir," she said shyly. "I need to get to Violet City as soon as I can."

The old man chuckled at the young girl's determination, despite her seemingly quiet nature. Just then a sound rang signaling that her Pokémon were healed and ready to go, and Krisa leapt up to get them.

"Here you are, miss," the nurse said kindly. "Your Pokémon are in very good health. Just make sure to visit Pokémon centers in the towns you visit."

"I will," Krisa agreed taking her three Pokéballs. Releasing Flappy to walk around with her, she was ready to leave the Pokémon Center.

As she started to leave, the old man called out to her. "Wait!" Krisa heard causing her to stop. "I have something for you."

Krisa looked over to him and realized he was closer, handing her the small basket he had been carrying. She had no idea why he was giving her the basket, but then he explained. "That box stores apricorns. It proved useful on my journey, and I hope it will do the same for you."

Krisa smiled and nodded, taking the box in her hands. She continued to listen to the old man talk about his travelling days while mentally filing some tips and facts about finding apricorns. Flappy nudged her a few times to try to get her to converse, but Krisa didn't know what to say. Eventually, she and the old man parted ways, and she continued on her journey to Violet City.

* * *

The sky turned orange signaling that the girl should make camp soon. Sighing and feeling irritated that she didn't cover more distance during the day, she reluctantly paused in her steps and dropped the gear she carried. Flappy looked up at her with a cocked head. Her sad eyes looked to her Pidgey. Forcing a smile, she said, "It looks like we should set up camp here."

Flappy chirped in response, but then noticed something moving behind its trainer. Its chirps grew louder as the winged Pokémon pointed its appendage in that direction.

Krisa blinked confusedly before turning, her big brown eyes widening when she saw a little Caterpie attempting to get up a tree and falling back every time. It was then that she remembered the Pokédex and it was her goal to catch as many Pokémon as possible for Professor Oak's research.

The blue-haired girl smirked confidently before looking at her partner. "What do you say, Flappy?" she mused. "Think we should add a new addition to the team?" Her Pidgey nodded enthusiastically and her disappointment from moments ago left her.

She stood, one foot behind her and pointed towards the Caterpie. "Flappy, use tackle, now!"

Flappy glided through the air fast as the pressure built up behind him. He collided with the Caterpie as it attempted to climb up the tree again. The bug Pokémon landed in the clearing. It tensed slightly before looking ready to fight.

Krisa's eyes lit up with mirth. If she caught this Caterpie, it would be the first Pokémon she caught on her own, and it looked like a fighter too. She couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of gaining a new friend and partner. "Alright, now use gust!" she declared pointing in the direction of the Caterpie.

Flappy did as she asked and the Caterpie closed its eyes trying to stay in its spot, but the little guy didn't have enough strength to hang on. It was knocked back, lying on its side when Krisa decided to throw her Pokéball. The ball rolled around slightly before all movement stopped and the red glowing light went out. Krisa froze for a moment, her mouth hanging open before her eyes widened and lit up with joy. She ran over to the Pokéball and picked it up, laughing and dropping herself to lie on the ground. Holding the Pokéball above her head, she smiled and said, "I think I'll call it Flit." She tilted her head to look at her Pidgey. "Does that sound good, Flappy?" The Pidgey chirped excitedly while flapping around. Krisa again smiled at her Pokéball. She had managed to catch a Pokémon all on her own. Now she just needed to set up camp for the night, and the next day she would push forward to Violet.

Night had fallen quickly after Krisa caught her new friend, and now all four of her Pokémon were out relaxing with her in the night air. They sat around the small fire, and Krisa stared into the crackling flames thinking about everything. She was lying for both Petrel and a stranger, and that was very unlike her. In a way she was actually helping two people be criminals, but if her plan worked out she would be able to convince her brother to come home with her. Maybe she could even stop Silver from being a criminal. She shook her head at the thought. There was only so much she could do, and she knew that. She could only hope that the next day would be better.

* * *

Silver was taking a break for the night, sleeping in a tree with his Sneasel. So far all things had gone according to plan, with a few mishaps, but according to plan nonetheless. The kid was on a mission, one that required a strong team, and no one was going to stand in his way. Sure, he hadn't wanted to steal from Professor Elm's lab, but it worked out that way. He couldn't really go in there after he had picked up one of Professor Oak's Pokédex by accident, no doubt reported stolen. His original plan was to discuss is mission with the Professor and request aid.

Now he was technically a fugitive, though he didn't have to hide completely thanks to that girl. She had actually done him a favor by lying for him. He could go out in the open or hide away as needed. The best part was he didn't need to worry about the authorities. They could deal with the real criminals. Stealing Totodile and the Pokédex would be his only crimes. He was nothing like the criminals he was pursuing.

* * *

Krisa was starting to fall asleep and checked the time on her Pokégear and saw that it was getting late. She crawled into her tent, burying herself in a cushioned sleeping back while peeking out of the front of the tent. Her Pokémon were all sleeping comfortable, so she drifted off. That was until she heard the Pokémon cry out and hurriedly rushed out of her tent.

There was a Spinarak attacking all of her Pokémon with string shot preventing them all from moving. The only Pokémon that seemed to avoid the stringy webs was Flit. She assumed it was because Flit was also a bug-type and shared a similar move set. "Flit," Krisa called out. When the Caterpie looked at her she smiled and nodded. "Use tackle attack."

Flit followed in the direction she pointed, attacking the Spinarak. The spider-like Pokémon managed to dodge only slightly, but used poison sting to attempt to weaken Flit. The Caterpie took the hit, but responded by using its own string shot. The webbing slowed Spinarak down, but that didn't deter it. Instead, it used scary face and that made Krisa cringe.

Now, Krisa was never a huge fan of spiders, so Spinarak's display didn't help matters; however, she couldn't just let it get away. The determined child realized that she was going to have to face whatever fears, even small ones, if she was going to try to take on Team Rocket. This battle was the first step. She also needed this Pokémon's data for the Pokédex. "I can do this," she told herself before turning her attention back to Flit and Spinarak.

The Spinarak looked very tired, but Flit still had a ton of energy. Smirking slightly, she gave her orders. "Flit, tackle, once more."

Flit tackled the Spinarak which surprisingly took it down. It was another victory for Krisa and her team, but she also noted how weak Spinarak was. She decided to take out a special ball that she had bought from the Pokémart, a Heal Ball, and threw it to catch the Spinarak. Being as weakened as it was, Spinarak didn't put up a fight. Krisa was thankful, because that special ball brought Spinarak's health up to full.

She picked up the ball, starting to ponder what to name it before moving to release her Pokémon from the webs. "Flit, you did a great job and-"

Krisa gasped in shock when she turned to look at Flit. The Caterpie was glowing. Krisa had only seen a Pokémon evolve once, back on a family camping trip with her brother, mother, and father. She would never forget the beautiful, white glow before that made her interested in Pokémon, the reason she did work for Professor Elm and assistant him with his research in evolution. When Flit changed shape and became a Metapod, the glow disappeared.

"Oh wow," Krisa said as she took out her Pokédex. "Metapod, huh? Flit must have been on the verge of evolution, which explains how much energy he had." She looked to the stationary Pokémon and smiled, closing the mini computer. Then she walked over and knelt down in front of the Metapod. "So there, you were probably ready to evolve when we battled you, huh? I'm glad I was able to see it."

She picked up Flit and brought him to the rest of the group before taking out the heal ball. "What to name this one," she mused. She thought about its speed and scary face technique when it hit her. "Flashy, I think. Yes, Flashy is a good name." She yawned slightly remembering how late it was and then went back into the tent, bring Metapod with her. The rest of her Pokémon followed her and the five of them buried themselves with her in the sleeping bag. Krisa reached to put the heal ball with her bag. Tomorrow, they'd have proper introductions, but for now Krisa needed sleep. She had a long day ahead of her.

* * *

Morning came quickly and, as usual, Krisa was still asleep. Flappy and Flare worked together to get her up, and eventually succeeded. "Mm, morning guys," Krisa said while stretching. She looked outside the tent and saw the sun. Her Pokégear read 7:00. She was happy that her Pokémon knew to get her up early.

She returned Flit and Feisty to their Pokéballs and packed up camp before finishing her trek to Violet City. It took about an hour to arrive at the city gate where the greeter was waiting.

"Why hello, miss," the greeter said with slight strain. "How are you this fine morning?"

Krisa smiled to the man and motioned to Flappy and Flare. "My name's Krisa," she told him. "And I'm a Pokémon trainer."

"Ah, so you came to battle the gym leader, right?" the greeter said with more ease.

"Well," Krisa said, her face falling. "That and I'm looking for a couple people."

"Oh really?" the man said his original strain returning. "Who?"

"I'm looking for my older brother," she admitted. "I heard him saying he was coming here and I needed to talk to him. I'm also looking for my new…friend. He has long, red hair and was wearing a black jacket with red on it. Has he been by?"

The greeter, who was momentarily stunned, regained his composure and nodded. "Yeah, I saw a kid like that not too long ago. Quiet little bugger. I tried talking to him, but he seemed to engrossed in where he was going. He asked how to get to Sprout Tower."

Krisa's face lit up. "Oh, so he went there. How far is it?"

"Not far," the greeter replied. "Go about three blocked and make a left past the Pokémon Center. It's a huge building; you can't miss it."

"Thanks so much," Krisa said with a smile. "Flappy, Flare, let's go."

Krisa waved to the greeter as she ran off. The greeter smiled and waved until she was out of eyeshot. After she was gone, the man frowned and took out a walkie-talkie. "Yeah, we're gonna have a problem," he said into it as he took off one of his many disguises. "My sister knows we're here."

* * *

Krisa was about to run past the Pokémon Center when someone stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. She stopped and gasped and was ready to defend herself, but when she saw Ethan standing there and smiling at her, she relaxed. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Taking a quick break," he told her. "I spent the night at the Pokémon Center. It got dark pretty fast."

"Yeah," Krisa replied, "tell me about it."

"Plus," Ethan added, "I knew you were heading here and I wanted to see your gym battle."

"O-Oh?" Krisa said nervously. She hadn't been planning on battling right away. She really needed to get to Sprout Tower and find Silver. It would make her feel better about lying if she knew why he had taken Totodile in the first place. "Well, I had some errands to run first and-"

"Oh yeah, I figured that," Ethan told her. "Besides, your Pokémon are probably tired from your journey. Like my grandpa always says, it's good to stop at a Pokémon Center in every town."

Krisa couldn't argue with that, and the two of them walked into the Pokémon Center together. Where her new Spinarak, Flashy, was healed fully, but the others could use a checkup. It was nice to run into Ethan again too. Then she remembered where he said he was heading. "I thought you were supposed to go to Goldenrod."

Ethan put his hands behind his head and laid back. "Yeah, but I'll have to go the long way," he told her. "Some weird tree is blocking the way from the park. I tried poking it with my cue and it actually danced."

Krisa laughed at what he said, playfully shoving him. "Trees don't dance, silly," she teased. "So you have to go the long way, huh?"

"Yeah," he muttered leaning back and looking up. "But my family's worried about me going alone. It's seriously no big deal. With my Pokémon, I can get through anything. They're my partners."

Krisa grinned at her friend. "I feel the same way," she agreed with him. "That's why I'm training along with them. We'll work together to face any obstacle no matter what or who stands in our way." Ethan smiled at the new trainer and then rummaged through his bag for something. He took out some square device and handed it to Krisa. "What's this?" she asked taking the device from him.

"It's called a VS Recorder," Ethan explained. "It's supposed to record battles."

"Don't you need it?" the young girl asked, trying to hand it back. Ethan stopped her and smirked.

"I don't need it," he told her. "It was a present from a friend, but I don't need to record my battles. I'm an in the moment kind of guy."

Krisa stared at him questioningly before she decided to accept his gift. "Thanks," she said tossing the small computer into her bag. This would definitely come in handy at some point in her quest. She could only hope she'd know when to use it. Just as she was about to say something else, the red light above the nurse's room had gone out.

"Krisa," the nurse called out. "Your Pokémon are fully healed."

"Great!" Krisa exclaimed happily, hopping up from her seat. Ethan watched her with a small grin on his face and shook his head. When she returned, she still had the same joyful air around her. "Anyways, I'll be back later," she told him. "I just have some things to do."

"No problem," Ethan said with a nonchalant wave. "I'm not going anywhere, maybe to the Pokémart. Hey, maybe we can head there later and get some supplies. I can show you where it is."

"That sounds nice," Krisa said thankfully. "I'll be back in a jiffy." Krisa waved goodbye and raced from the Pokémon Center. She felt bad for leaving Ethan like that, but she needed to find Silver and talk to him about their run-in. Then after, she needed to locate her brother and stop him from whatever he was planning to do.

* * *

Sprout Tower, a tall, wooden building inhabited by sages and the town's most prized monument. Krisa had never been so awed by a building before in her like. It was so much larger than any building in New Bark Town, and no building she had ever seen had a moving pillar in the center. No one seemed to be worried about the swaying object, so Krisa decided to ignore it and ask the tourists about Silver. Apparently, no one had seen him.

"Flare, what should we do?" she asked her Cyndaquil. The flaming Pokémon cooed softly nudging its nose to the staircase. No one seemed to be hanging around there, nor did anyone seem to want to leave the bottom floor. "You want to go up?" Flare nodded its head once. "Well, alright then," she answered with a shrug. "It's better than anything I've got."

The two began to move upstairs, and strangely no one was stopping them, nor was there anyone on the higher floors. "This is strange," Krisa said to Flare. "Something feels off."

Krisa didn't notice Flare shivering and continued to walk up the next few sets of stairs. Flare followed closely behind her, nervous as to what was up ahead. When she stopped, the Pokémon nudged her leg for attention. The girl looked down to her friend with worry. "What's wrong, Flare?"

Flare looked up the last set of stairs and then shook and Krisa knew. Something was going on up there. "Alright," Krisa said trying to keep her voice from wavering. "We can do this, Flare. Our friends will help us."

Krisa released her remaining Pokémon from their Pokéballs, even Flashy. The little spider looked around curiously, releasing small clicks to communicate. "Okay guys, there's something up ahead," Krisa explained. "We need to be ready for anything."

Going up the last bit of stairs was nerve-wracking, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Sages stood on each side, eyes closed, but nothing seemed to be wrong. Still, Krisa's Pokémon seemed worried. That kept Krisa on edge herself. She decided to go question one of the sages hoping that they might have seen Silver. She went up to the first one she saw, her Pokémon staying behind as she questioned him.

"Hi," she greeted, "can you tell me if a guy with long, red hair came by here. I'm looking for him." The sage didn't even open his eyes. "Um, sir, can you please just tell me?"

All of a sudden, the bald man's eyes shot open and snapped to Krisa. Then the rest of the sages did the same. All of their eyes were glowing purple. "Wha…what is this?" Krisa asked backing away from the man. After she spoke, all the men threw their Pokéballs releasing an army of purple-eyed Bellsprout. Not having ever been in a group battle like this, Krisa didn't know what to do, but her Pokémon took the lead on this as each of the five started attacking the enemy Bellsprout. That snapped her out of her daze.

"Alright, Flare, use ember," she called. Flare's flame grew slightly as the little fire mouse breathed flames from his mouth and took out one of the Bellsprout. Unbeknownst to Krisa, another Bellsprout managed to knock out her Cyndaquil with sleep power, to which Flappy responded by using gust. Flashy was trying hard to keep up in the fight, especially since he was newly caught. The Spinarak only had a one damage inflicting move and unfortunately it wasn't that effective again the poison type Bellsprout. Instead, it used its sting shot to attempt to slow the Bellsprout down, and it wasn't very successful.

With Flare down for a while and Flashy struggling, Krisa ordered both Flappy and Flit to attack, holding Feisty back just in case. Flappy's gust took out three of the Bellsprout, and surprisingly Flit's tackle was inflicting a ton of damage. Flit was the one to take out the last two, and once again, the Metapod shone of a white glow. Flit was evolving again!

This time, its shaped took on the form of a butterfly and, when the glow disappeared, Krisa took out her Pokédex and saw that the Pokémon was called a Butterfree. "Pretty," she said before she regained her battle sense.

All of the Bellsprout were defeated, but their trainers still had purple, glowing eyes. Something else was going on here. Then a new move showed up on her Pokédex for Butterfree. "Flit," she called out, "use confusion!"

Flit's eyes shone as it used the confusion technique, and right away it showed results. Each one of the Sages seemed to come to their senses asking where they were. Then, a Pokémon appeared shocking everyone. A purple, sphere-shaped Pokémon fell from the air and crashed to the floor. Taking the chance, Krisa used another heal ball to capture the purple Pokémon.

As soon as she did, the Pokédex beeped with new information. It was Gastly, the gas Pokémon, and it was a ghost and poison type. "I think I'll call it Frighty. That was pretty terrifying," she said to her Pokémon.

"Little girl," one of the sages spoke to get Krisa's attention. She looked to the bald man warily. "Are you the one who stopped Gastly?" She nodded and the man laughed. "We thank you. Gastly has been around here causing trouble recently. Now maybe things can be peaceful again."

"Happy to help," Krisa said before she realized Flare was still sleeping. "Hm, how do I wake him up?"

"Here, take this," another sage said. "It's the least we can do having been the cause of this." He handed her a wrapped object.

"What is it?" Krisa asked.

"It's medicine," the sage explained. "It's called an Awakening. It should wake your Cyndaquil up right away."

Krisa stared at the object and then looked to Flappy questioningly. The bird shrugged its wings, and then Krisa decided to try the medicine on her Cyndaquil. Like the man had said, Cyndaquil woke up as soon as the Awakening was administered. "Amazing," Krisa breathed out, her brown eyes widened with awe.

"Now, young lady," the last sage said, "what exactly brings you up here?"

Krisa quickly rose to her feet and dusted herself off. "Well, I'm looking for a friend and I was told he came here," she explained.

The sages stared at her blankly before one of them said, "Ah yes, the young boy with red hair who went to challenge our master. Is that who you mean?"

"Yeah," Krisa said with a smile. "Where is your master?"

"In the back of the room, but wait, miss!" Krisa was already running towards the back, her partners in tow, before the sage could warn her what was going on back there. "Well, she'll find out."

* * *

Krisa made it just in time to see Silver winning a match against the elder. The man looked serious, his dark eyes seeming to pierce through Silver's soul. The red-haired boy blinked and backed away slightly, not liking the gleam in the man's eye. He wasn't prepared to hear what the elderly man had to say.

"You are a good trainer," he said, "of that I have no doubt, but the way you treat you Pokémon…You treat them like tools of war. You are too harsh with them. Practice patience, young one."

"Save it," Silver snapped, glaring at his beaten opponent. "I don't need a lecture from the likes of you. Sneasel, Croconaw, and Gastly are fine. I'm sure you saw that when Croconaw evolved from Totodile."

"It already evolved?" Krisa asked.

This caused Silver to look in her direction. He was truly shocked to see her there, his brown eyes widening. The night before he couldn't stop thinking about why she had done what she had done. But as soon as the shock settled in, he regained his angered composure and glared harshly and the blue-haired girl. "What's a weakling like you doing here?" he growled. "Only the strong should battle opponents like that."

Krisa hated that he kept calling her a weakling. She was a new trainer, but that didn't mean she was weak. "Doesn't it take a strong trainer to get past the sages?" she asked. "Obviously I did or I wouldn't be here."

Silver was surprised by her comeback but wouldn't let up. "Whatever," he scoffed. "This place is full of weaklings anyway. For me to defeat their elder so easily there's no other explanation. I'm outta here."

Before Krisa could even think to say "wait," Silver disappeared in a flash of light and the young girl was left staring and the saddened elder. The old man shook his head in disappointment, but he knew the boy could only learn from experience. That was why he had kept his part of the deal and had given the boy the technique he had just used to escape.

Then he saw the young girl who had tried to confront Silver. It seemed like the two knew each other from how he had acted. He smiled to the frowning girl. "Young lady," he called out, "what is your name?"

She sniffed slightly having had her feelings hurt by someone she was trying to help. "Krisa," she squeaked in response.

"Well Krisa," he said to her, "come and sit. We have much to discuss."

* * *

"What do you mean she knows about us?" Ariana scolded. "How would she have found out?"

"_I don't know," _Petrel's voice came over her walkie-talkie. _"Maybe if someone didn't call me at HOME all of the time, she wouldn't have overheard, but she knows I'm in Violet City so I'm sure she knows more than that."_

"I'm going to have to go to Archer with this," Ariana told him. She was sure he already knew that they couldn't have anything or anyone interfering with their plans, even if it happened to be one of the new executive's younger sister. It was bad enough the original Team Rocket was ended by a child three years ago. She didn't want to relive that mess.

"_No, don't!" _Petrel exclaimed. _"Look, I'll handle my sister, okay? Besides, I'm not even sure what she does know. I'm sure she'll keep out of Team Rocket's way. She's not a fighter, only a new trainer. Please, Ariana."_

Ariana sighed with reluctance. She didn't want to get on Archer's bad side, given they were grunts together when Giovanni ran things, but she didn't want to throw a child under the bus. "Okay look, I'll make you a deal," she said. "If your sister stays out of Team Rocket's affairs, I'll leave it be, but if she gets in the way, I am going to Archer and he will do what he sees fit. Agreed?" She heard nothing from the other side. "Agreed?"

"_Yeah, I hear ya," _Petrel agreed with a sadness in his voice. _"Thanks Ariana."_

"No problem," she responded before they cut communication. She let out a lengthy sigh before sitting down on the sofa. _Hopefully,_ she mused as she looked out the window, _hopefully those new grunts in Violet can get the job done._

* * *

Back in Violet City, Team Rocket grunts were hiding out in the back of the Trainer School putting Pokéballs into crates. These Pokémon had been taken from the trainers that stopped by before furthering their journey. They wouldn't have known until after they left town, so they needed to pack these crates onto the truck quickly.

"Alright, haul out," one of the grunts ordered to the driver. "The quicker you can get those to headquarters, the easier it'll be for us. Those trainers won't be seeing their Pokémon again."

"Oh really?"

The three grunts turned to see Silver standing in front of them with a smirk, his three Pokémon behind him. "Who're you, brat?" the third grunt growled before getting ready to toss out a Pokéball.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Silver retorted crossing his arms defiantly. "Well, I'll tell you then. I'm the kid that's going to ruin your organization, and I'm starting with you three. Sneasel, Croconaw, attack!"

His Pokémon attacked the men willingly, not giving them the chance to retaliate. The two outside the truck crashed back into the truck and groaned in agony. Silver smirked at his Pokémons' handiwork. He frowned once more when the third guy got out of the truck swinging a club. "Gastly, hypnosis."

Waves pulsated from Gastly's body and were directed towards the final guy. The man passed out and Silver made his own move, taking the rope he had found lying around the tower and tying up all three of them together. He opened the back of the truck and found a few crates of Pokémon. _Pathetic, _he thought knowing that the original Team Rocket had been able to catch more than this. _Well, either way, I will stop them from reforming._

"Let's go," he said to his Pokémon with the utmost authority. "We have more ground to cover and more training to do."

Silver placed his hands in his pockets walking away from the scene. The authorities could handle the grunts and getting the Pokémon back to their trainers. Being followed by his Pokémon, Silver set course to the next town, and the next trial.

* * *

"Ah, so you know that boy from your hometown," the elder, who had told Krisa his name was Li, mused. "And he got the Totodile from Professor Elm."

Krisa quickly downed a large sip of her tea nervously. She was getting tired of these half-truths. "Yeah, that's the story," she replied. _And I'm sticking to it._

"He wouldn't happen to be the boy who broke into the lab, is he? The one named _Metal,_" Li pressed. Krisa frowned and she knew she was caught. Li only laughed and said, "Do not worry, child. I could tell that Pokémon wanted to be with him. That is why it was able to evolve so quickly. From how long he's been working with it, I would have expected it to evolve in only a few more days. Anyway, I will not tell your secret. It's none of my business. I'm just a lowly elder with a faulty memory."

Krisa flashed him a thankful smile and then set down her tea. "So what exactly were you giving him?" she asked.

"It was a move called Flash, a hidden machine, or HM for short. There are eight different types. I happened to find the move, Flash, a long time ago on my own journey. It's a useful technique that lights up the darkest caves. It allows for trainers to take their adventures to a new level, so I decided to erect this tower when I returned here to my hometown years before. Little did I know it would become a monument." He chuckled at the memory of when the tower was just a small design, a pipe dream that he never thought would be realized. "I wanted to be able to teach new trainers this move to help them on their journey, so I replicated the HM. I even taught it to my students for when I am long gone. It can always be used, no matter how old it gets."

"It's so nice of you that you decided to give trainers this move," Krisa said happily. "It sounds like quite a useful move."

"Oh no, child," he countered, "I don't just give this move away. I first need to test a trainer's fighting spirit and connection with Pokémon. I can't just give it away willy-nilly or the move's importance loses all meaning. If you want the move, you must meet my challenge."

Krisa's eyes widened, but the she grinned. Other than Silver, this was her first challenge. Plus, it would be beneficial training learning from a man with his wisdom and kindness. "You've got yourself a fight," Krisa said confidently, her Pokémon agreeing with her declaration.

Elder Li picked up three Pokéball's from the table and stood up slowly. "Yes, child," he said. "Let us fight."

The first Pokémon the elder sent out was a Bellsprout. Krisa thought hard about her selection, not wanting to send Flare out to fall victim to the sleep powder again. "Flappy, you can go up against Bellsprout," she decided.

Flappy responded happily to being chosen and went into battle. Elder Li's eyes widened briefly, but then he just smiled warmly. Her Pokémon seemed to be not only well trained, but happy and free as well. His eyes then became serious as he called the first attack. "Bellsprout, vine whip."

Long, tentacles of vines shot out from Bellsprout's leaves. "Flappy, dodge," Krisa called out outstretching her hand. Flappy flew up into the air in sync with her hand gesture, another thing about Krisa and her team that Li noticed. He hadn't seen anyone that in sync with their Pokémon since…well, he wasn't going to go down memory lane on this. But it was still highly impressive, and he didn't even mind when she told her Pidgey to attack with a strong gust attack. It seemed the bird shared the girl's spirit, and that made the man's day.

He recalled his Bellsprout and sent out another only to have Krisa switch out Pidgey for her Butterfree. Krisa, wanting to practice with as many of her Pokémon as she could, didn't realize what Li realized about her. She could have easily left Flappy in battle and taken out his other Bellsprout, but she chose to show all of her Pokémon the same type of consideration in battle.

"Okay, since Bellsprout is a poison type, confusion should work," Krisa said to Flit. "Get into its path. If it tries to hit you with its vines, deflect them with your wings."

Flit nodded and went out into battle. Li seemed to approve of everything going on with this battle. Instructing the Bellsprout to use its vine whip technique combined with stun spore, Flit used its wings to deflect the vines was frozen in spot by the spores; however, he didn't need to move to use confusion and willed itself to make the attack hit. As Bellsprout tried to recover, Flit used tackle finishing off the fight.

Li returned Bellsprout to its Pokéball before sending out his last Pokémon, a Hoothoot that he had been training for some time. It was his most trusted new Pokémon. Krisa looked between Flit to Flare. Flit was paralyzed and he was already at a type disadvantage. She knew she would have to return to the Pokémon Center after. "Flare, switch," she ordered.

Flare hopped into battle as Krisa recalled Flit to his Pokéball to rest. "Alright Flare, you've got this. Attack it with ember."

Flare shot out a small flame which Hoothoot narrowly dodged. It was slightly hit by the flame causing a small burn. It was impressive for an attack that didn't hit head on to cause a status problem in an opponent, but Krisa was going to use it to her team's advantage.

The Hoothoot tackled Flare, pecking it after the initial hit. Flare didn't take it sitting down, though, and managed to shake it off and use its own tackling ability. Hoothoot was hit back, trying to regain its composure and stance, but was hit with an oncoming flame. Hoothoot was knocked out and recalled by Elder Li. He held his Pokéball close to him before smiling and setting it back on the table.

"The battle is over," Li said with a calm voice. "I am highly impressed with your skills for being a new trainer." Krisa seemed shocked by his praise. "For a new trainer, you and your Pokémon work surprisingly well together. They know what you all need when you need it, and that connection is something you will need in future challenges. You are deserving of the HM, Flash."

He handed Krisa a wrapped box containing information on the technique. Krisa took it from him and stared at it. "Thank you," she chimed. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem," he assured her. "You and your team earned it."

Krisa answered with a smile and slight giggle. She and her team were about to leave when Li called out to her once more. "Krisa." She stopped walking and froze in the spot. "That boy, Silver, he has a strange path ahead of him, and I believe the path you'll take is entwined with his. Don't give up on him. He made need your guidance in the near future."

Krisa didn't respond. She and the rest of her Pokémon just raced down the stairs. Still, Li knew she got the message. After all, she was the one who came looking for Silver in the first place. She wouldn't leave her behind like he seemed to want.

* * *

Krisa ended up at the Pokémon Center again, waiting for Flit to be healed and Flappy and Flare to be checked for injuries. As she waited, she pondered Li's words. It was almost as if he knew what was going to happen to her, but there was no way. He was wise, not psychic. Krisa chuckled at the thought. No, he could just read the situation well, nothing more than that. The light went off again, and she was ready to get her Pokémon and search the city to see if Silver was still there and if Petrel could be found.

"There you are!" Ethan exclaimed as she exited the center. "I've been looking all over for you. I just got a bunch of supplies for us."

"Us?" Krisa asked. "You bought me supplies?"

"Well yeah," Ethan said a small blush forming on his face. "Anyways, come on; let's get you to the gym."

He started pushing her in the direction of the gym against her will. "What are you doing?" she shouted in protest.

"Look, my grandparents have sent someone to drive me, but I'd rather travel there on my own or, in this case, with a buddy. Now let's go. The car will be here any second."

"Okay, okay," Krisa surrendered. "Man, you're pushy. I can walk on my own to the gym."

"Excellent!" Ethan replied. "Hurry!"

A figure hiding in the shadows of the Pokémon Center watched as the two children headed to the gym. He didn't know if they had been responsible for the mishaps at the Trainer School, but he could only hope for Krisa's sake that neither was involved. "Oh Krisa," he muttered smacking his forehead, "you should have stayed home."

* * *

A/N: So I know this took forever to get out. The chapter had actually been outlined (seeing as I'm using the game to outline the story. Chapter 3 is actually 100% planned out. I stopped playing to try to force myself to catch up with the story. Writing it was more of a challenge, especially the battles (as they actually reflect some battles in the game. Gym battles will be "live," like the exact moves that happen.) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm looking forward to continuing. Hopefully this time it won't be months without an update. That shall be my goal. I hope to get chapter three up sometime in October. Then I can continue playing and plan Chapter 4.


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